Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #8
REIGN OF KYLO REN PART 8
Even after killing Snoke and taking the mantle of Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren still struggles with forging his own path in the shadow of his family’s legacy.
Kylo’s quest to kill the past led him to Darth Vader’s former home, where the young tyrant met the erstwhile aide of the Dark Lord, a man by the name of Vaneé.
Heeding Vaneé’s guidance, Kylo sought out his family’s secrets on Tatooine and Naboo, before turning his sights on one of the last survivors of Order 66. Meanwhile, Kylo’s former comrades, the Knights of Ren, have continued to pillage the galaxy, now under the banner of a new leader….
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Luke Ross
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Nolan Woodward
Cover artist: Derrick Chew
Editor: Mark Pannicia
Publication date: September 3rd 2025
We open the 8th issue with the striking image of Tava Ren, resplendent in samurai-like robes on Vandor (first seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story) standing in front of a vault and ‘persuading’ the guardian Prior Baius to open it. Their reputation preceedes them, and Tava explains the ethos of the Knights of Ren, to fund their lifestyle to do whatever they want. Ren tells him the rest of the guards are dead, no one left to save him, but that’s incorrect and a raging hoard of guards run and and we see Tava fight furiously, using a cloaking device of some kind to blur their appearance, but the weight of numbers is too much and we see her leap from the stronghold and escape.
Back at the Night Buzzard and the Knights of Ren, we learn that they abandoned her and fully expect her not to survive, but she lands on the hull just as they’re about to disembark and inside she berates them for not having her back and fighting, while they make clear they’re not prepared to die based on bad intel. Then, the link to the current plot as they explain the thing that changed them was Kylo Ren, the previous leader of the Knights and someone Tava has never heard of.
In flashback we see how Ben Solo joined the Knights, fighting their then current leader and killing him in battle, taking his place and the name Kylo Ren. The pillgae of the Knights continued, money and death accumulating as they went, but Kylo became withdrawn and even for the Knights, darker. Soon, the Knights were simply doing Kylo’s bidding in dark missions, one inparticular staying in their minds as a stronghold put up a brave fight, but to little avail. This was the mission where the Knights encounter Snoke, and where Kylo leaves the Knights to follow his next destiny. Kylo is prepared to kill the Knights, but Snoke instead sends in First Order troopers who overwhelm the Knights, forcing them to flee.
Back in the present Tava hears the story and proclaims to know how to ‘fix’ the problem as we cut to the Finalizer and Kylo and General Hux on the bridge as Hux explains how Corellia has been taken to produce only First Order vessels. They’re approached by an officer who tells them the Night Buzzard has arrived, and while Hux knows nothing about the vessel, Ren orders they be let onboard, and we end the issue with Kylo and Tava meeting for the first time, Tava removing her mask to reveal a red-haired woman with ancient runes tatooed on her neck, kneeling before Kylo to offer their services.
Unsurprisingly, another engaging issue as more holes are filled in the tapestry of the sequel trilogy as we learn what happened to the Knights of Ren and who led them in while Ren was focusing on his dark side activities with Snoke. As always, it’s beautifully drawn and scripted, layering in detail and information as we head towards the conclusion of the series. That we can have a brand new character enter the story at this late juncture is interesting, one we know doesn’t make it to The Rise of Skywalker, and with so much explaination laid out in the series, this is certain to become a keystone in the history of Kylo Ren.